Common Questions Kids Ask About Animals

The Kid Quiz! Common Animal Questions Your Children Ask

It's time for another round of common questions your kids ask! We asked Susanne Cooper, an education program specialist at the San Francisco Zoo, to help us answer animal questions. Susanne spends her days teaching tots about creatures through music, crafts, and animal interaction. Test your knowledge!

What is the largest animal on earth?

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What is the largest animal on earth?

CORRECT!

The blue whale usually weighs between 200,000 and 300,000 pounds, which is "about as long as three school buses and as heavy as 40 elephants," Susanne says.

CORRECT!

All of these animals may be fast, but the cheetah wins the race: it can run over 70 mph. But cheetahs can only run for 200-300 yards at that speed before tiring, Susanne says, while the ostrich can maintain a speed of 40 mph for up to half an hour!

INCORRECT!

All of these animals may be fast, but the cheetah wins the race: it can run over 70 mph. But cheetahs can only run for 200-300 yards at that speed before tiring, Susanne says, while the ostrich can maintain a speed of 40 mph for up to half an hour!

CORRECT!

While warm-blooded animals like humans can keep themselves at a constant temperature, cold-blooded animals are the same temperature as their environment. "We can shiver or sweat if we're too hot or too cold," says Susanne, but cold-blooded animals need to move "into the sun or under a rock to get warmer or colder."

INCORRECT!

While warm-blooded animals like humans can keep themselves at a constant temperature, cold-blooded animals are the same temperature as their environment. "We can shiver or sweat if we're too hot or too cold," says Susanne, but cold-blooded animals need to move "into the sun or under a rock to get warmer or colder."

CORRECT!

We all know what koalas eat: eucalyptus leaves! And, as Susanne says, "It takes a lot of energy to digest eucalyptus leaves, which are very fibrous and low in nutrition, so sleeping helps [koalas] conserve their energy."

INCORRECT!

We all know what koalas eat: eucalyptus leaves! And, as Susanne says, "It takes a lot of energy to digest eucalyptus leaves, which are very fibrous and low in nutrition, so sleeping helps [koalas] conserve their energy."

CORRECT!

A baby kangaroo, called a joey, is so small when it's born; it's about the size of a human thumbnail and weighs less than a gram. That's not the only amazing thing about the kangaroo birthing process: "It takes less than 10 minutes for the hairless, blind, and deaf newborn to make its way to mom's pouch," Susanne says, where it feeds for about six months.

INCORRECT!

A baby kangaroo, called a joey, is so small when it's born; it's about the size of a human thumbnail and weighs less than a gram. That's not the only amazing thing about the kangaroo birthing process: "It takes less than 10 minutes for the hairless, blind, and deaf newborn to make its way to mom's pouch," Susanne says, where it feeds for about six months.

What is an easy way to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?

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What is an easy way to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?

CORRECT!

The easiest way to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, Susanne says, is by its snout. She even made up an easy trick for remembering: "A is for Alligator but he has a C shaped snout, and C is for Crocodile but with an A shaped snout." She has a lot more to say about alligators and crocodiles: "Alligators prefer fresh water, crocodiles brackish or salt water. There are only two types of alligators in the world – the American alligator found in the southeast United States, and the Chinese alligator. Crocodiles are found in all the Americas, Africa, Australia, and Asia."

INCORRECT!

The easiest way to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, Susanne says, is by its snout. She even made up an easy trick for remembering: "A is for Alligator but he has a C shaped snout, and C is for Crocodile but with an A shaped snout." She has a lot more to say about alligators and crocodiles: "Alligators prefer fresh water, crocodiles brackish or salt water. There are only two types of alligators in the world – the American alligator found in the southeast United States, and the Chinese alligator. Crocodiles are found in all the Americas, Africa, Australia, and Asia."